Ruben Loftus-Cheek Named Man Of The Match

11 November 2017

Ruben Loftus-Cheek put in such an outstanding performance against Germany on his senior England debut on Friday evening that he left Wembley Stadium with the Man Of The Match trophy.

Gareth Southgate handed the 21 year-old his chance and the Lewisham born youngster took the plaudits from the 81,000 crowd at the end of the 0-0 draw as he showed his ability with an excellent display in midfield.

Ruben was one of three debutants in the starting eleven and after the game he was delighted to have put in such a performance against the World Cup holders.

"If we won it would have been better but I'm really happy. It was a really tactical game. It was good for us young players and I certainly learned a lot.

"The manager has said 'do your best'. I had Gareth in charge for nearly three years at the Under-21s and the boys have been great. I've settled in really well and they gave me a platform to go out and play”.

Southgate remains unbeaten at home since taking over as national boss and he was not surprised at the impact the midfielder had on his latest match watching from the sidelines.

"Ruben Loftus-Cheek did everything I know he can do. It took him 10 minutes to realise he is OK at this level. He is capable of anything. He has the physical attributes and can handle the ball. He will gain huge confidence from it. There will be harder tests as the likes of Germany will have another gear to go to."

Next up for the England squad is another home game and that is against Brazil on Tuesday evening.